Latest news with #Government-approved
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Small boat migrant's DOG looked after for four months costing YOU thousands in latest borders fiasco
TAXPAYERS are to fork out thousands of pounds to put up a DOG that crossed the Channel in a packed dinghy. The German Shepherd made the perilous trip with its illegal immigrant owner. The fiasco is believed to be the first time a canine has been picked up in this way. 3 Taxpayers are to fork out thousands of pounds to put up a DOG that crossed the Channel in a packed dinghy 3 The dog's owner is believed to be staying in a hotel for asylum seekers Credit: AFP 3 Kent's only quarantine facility, The Animal Inn in Deal, is five miles from Dover Credit: Gary Stone The German Shepherd was taken ashore to spend at least four months in quarantine at taxpayers' expense. Discussions were under way about adopting the hound — whose breed is easily trained — as an official Border Force dog. But there was also anger at what was seen as the latest border fiasco. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said: 'This country's open borders policy is so porous even household pets are arriving.' READ MORE UK NEWS The dog was among 1,183 human arrivals on 20 dinghies since Saturday last week. Thousands of pounds are now likely to be spent on the pet to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as rabies. Meanwhile, its owner is believed to be staying in a hotel for asylum seekers — also courtesy of the British taxpayer. Shadow Home Secretary Most read in The Sun 'Their pledge to smash the gangs lies in tatters. 'Since taking office, we have seen nearly 36,000 illegal arrivals and now even dogs are making the crossing. The Sun watches as hundreds of illegal migrants arrive at Dover 'The cost of quarantining this dog will run into thousands, all paid for by the British taxpayer. 'It is barking mad.' In what is believed to be a first for Border Force, officials discovered the German Shepherd last week near the end of its perilous 21-mile trip at Dover, Kent. A source said: 'Search and rescue teams are always prepared for the worst, often helping newborn babies, and elderly pensioners requiring wheelchairs. 'But they were astounded after finding a pet dog nestled among a group of migrants packed into an unsuitable inflatable in the Dover Strait. 'It was a first. 'Border Force officials couldn't believe their eyes but treated the animal with the same humanity they show any individual. 'The dog will now need to spend up to 120 days in quarantine. 'It's unbelievable. 'No one truly knows where this animal has come from or its back story so every precaution has to be taken to protect the public. 'Vets will need to give it a full check-up with jabs and vaccinations to ensure it poses no risk before it can be allowed out of isolation. 'Asylum applications can take years so the pet may need months of further care in kennels until its owner is processed.' This country's open borders policy is so porous even household pets are arriving Richard Tice The dog is understood to have been taken to one of six Government-approved quarantine sites across the UK. Kent's only facility is The Animal Inn in Deal, five miles from Dover. Dogs were heard barking there yesterday but a worker did not think the cross- Its arrival coincided with the PM's immigration White Paper to 'take back control' of UK borders. A Government spokesman said: 'The UK takes biosecurity very seriously. 'Where an animal comes from an unlisted country, it is placed in quarantine to prevent dangerous diseases like rabies coming into the country. 'We all want to see the end to
The Independent
17-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Few households avoid third year of maximum council tax hikes as plans approved
A majority of households in England are facing a third year of maximum council tax hikes after all councils confirmed their plans. Nearly nine in 10 (88%) of 153 upper-tier authorities in England will impose a 4.99% increase this year, the most allowed without triggering a local referendum. If councils increasing bills by 4.5% or more in April are included in the tally, the proportion increases to more than nine in 10 (94%). For just over two-thirds (68%) of top-tier authorities, it will be the third year in a row that bills have gone up by at least the maximum legal amount, according to analysis by the PA news agency. By contrast, just nine councils are boosting bills by less than 4.5% this year. Sunderland has chosen a 4.49% increase, Kensington & Chelsea in London 4.00%, Doncaster and Derby have both opted for 3.99%, while North East Lincolnshire will increase bills by 3.98%. Council tax in Essex will rise by 3.75% and in Rotherham by 3.00%. Lincolnshire will boost bills by 2.99% while Wandsworth in London has approved the lowest increase in England of 2.00%, representing a freeze on the main element of council tax for the third year in a row. The council said 'sound financial management is at the heart of everything we do.' Addressing residents on its website, the council added: Wandsworth has one of the lowest levels of debt and some of the highest financial reserves in London, allowing us to freeze the main element of councils tax and invest in what matters most.' A vast majority of residents in England continue to face maximum council tax increases, however. The 4.99% cap, which includes a 2% adult social care precept, has been in place over the last three years. While 68% of upper-tier councils have raised council tax by the maximum in each of the past three years, 84% have done so in both 2025/26 and 2024/25, PA analysis shows. Data for individual regions show that of the 24 top-tier councils in the North West, all are increasing to the limit in 2025/26 except Warrington, which has opted for 4.98%, while Trafford has been allowed by the Government to raise bills by 7.49%. All 20 councils in the South East have approved an increase of 4.99% or more this year, including an 8.99% rise by Windsor & Maidenhead. Essex is the only council out of 10 in the East of England not to hit the cap threshold, along with three of the 10 councils in the East Midlands: Nottinghamshire, Derby and Lincolnshire. Coventry has confirmed a 4.90% increase, the only authority of the 14 in the West Midlands not to raise council tax to the limit or, in the case of Birmingham, higher, to the Government-approved level of 7.49%. All but two of the 15 councils in the South West are increasing council tax by the maximum or above, with Wiltshire (4.50%) and Torbay (4.75%) the exceptions, while Somerset is raising bills by 7.49%. Just three of the 33 London councils have opted to increase council tax by less than 4.99%, Wandsworth, Kensington & Chelsea and Barnet (4.80%), while Newham has received permission for a 8.99% increase. Meanwhile, three of the 12 councils in the North East have set council tax below the maximum: South Tyneside and Stockton-on-Tees (both 4.95%) and Sunderland. Five councils out of 15 in Yorkshire & Humber have set the council tax rise lower than than the limit. Along with Rotherham, North East Lincolnshire and Doncaster, they are North Lincolnshire (4.89%) and Barnsley (4.90%). Bradford is another council that has received permission for an increase above the threshold, in this instance, 9.99%. The figures also show that maximum council tax increases are occurring across both the wealthiest and the poorest areas. All of the 20 poorest council areas, according to the latest indices of deprivation compiled in 2019, are increasing council tax to the limit. This includes three authorities, Newham, Bradford and Birmingham, who have been allowed to increase bills above 4.99% this year due to severe financial difficulties. Similarly, only one of the 20 wealthiest council areas, Wiltshire, is not increasing council tax to the threshold. With local government finances in crisis, the Government has provided exceptional financial assistance to 30 councils this year, including support for eight councils to balance the books in previous years. Appearing before the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee last week, council leaders were questioned on the council tax system and its impact on finances. Bill Revans, leader of Somerset Council which has been granted permission to raise council tax by 2.5 percentage points higher than the threshold, said the flexibility has enabled the authority to avoid issuing section 114 declaring effective bankruptcy. But he said this approach was 'not a solution to local government finance'. 'It is, of course, welcome because we want to be able to manage our own affairs,' he added. 'But at the same time, it's incredibly difficult because ultimately our residents are having to pay more, and at a time when they are seeing less services because the services go to those people most in need of adults and children's social care.' Critics of the council tax system claim that household charges are unfair and ineffective because they are based on property valuations carried out in 1991. Bristol City Council leader Tony Dyer told the committee that the 'vast majority' of properties in the city were placed in the lowest bands A and B, which does not reflect current values and severely restricts council tax revenue. 'The first thing that needs to happen straight away is the revaluation of the various bands,' he said. Mr Dyer added that, despite many residents living in homes with the lowest council tax, there are many people who are unable to pay their bills. He said: 'We need to support these people, but that is being done, essentially, out of local authority budgets. 'In Bristol, we have a council tax reduction scheme which is costing us £43 million pounds a year with no support from the government to provide that.' A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'While councils are ultimately responsible for setting their own council tax levels, we are clear that they should put taxpayers first and carefully consider the impact of their decisions. 'That's why we are maintaining a referendum threshold on council tax rises, so taxpayers can have the final say and be protected from excessive increases.' A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils across England, said: 'Councils continue to face severe funding shortages and soaring cost and demand pressures on local services. 'This means that many councils have faced the tough choice about whether to increase bills to bring in desperately-needed funding to provide services at a time when they are acutely aware of the significant burden that could place on some households. 'However, while council tax is an important funding stream, the significant financial pressures facing local services cannot be met by council tax income alone. It also raises different amounts in different parts of the country – unrelated to need. 'The Spending Review needs to ensure councils have adequate funding to deliver the services local people want to see.'
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Few households avoid third year of maximum council tax hikes as plans approved
A majority of households in England are facing a third year of maximum council tax hikes after all councils confirmed their plans. Nearly nine in 10 (88%) of 153 upper-tier authorities in England will impose a 4.99% increase this year, the most allowed without triggering a local referendum. If councils increasing bills by 4.5% or more in April are included in the tally, the proportion increases to more than nine in 10 (94%). For just over two-thirds (68%) of top-tier authorities, it will be the third year in a row that bills have gone up by at least the maximum legal amount, according to analysis by the PA news agency. By contrast, just nine councils are boosting bills by less than 4.5% this year. Sunderland has chosen a 4.49% increase, Kensington & Chelsea in London 4.00%, Doncaster and Derby have both opted for 3.99%, while North East Lincolnshire will increase bills by 3.98%. Council tax in Essex will rise by 3.75% and in Rotherham by 3.00%. Lincolnshire will boost bills by 2.99% while Wandsworth in London has approved the lowest increase in England of 2.00%, representing a freeze on the main element of council tax for the third year in a row. The council said 'sound financial management is at the heart of everything we do.' Addressing residents on its website, the council added: Wandsworth has one of the lowest levels of debt and some of the highest financial reserves in London, allowing us to freeze the main element of councils tax and invest in what matters most.' A vast majority of residents in England continue to face maximum council tax increases, however. The 4.99% cap, which includes a 2% adult social care precept, has been in place over the last three years. While 68% of upper-tier councils have raised council tax by the maximum in each of the past three years, 84% have done so in both 2025/26 and 2024/25, PA analysis shows. Data for individual regions show that of the 24 top-tier councils in the North West, all are increasing to the limit in 2025/26 except Warrington, which has opted for 4.98%, while Trafford has been allowed by the Government to raise bills by 7.49%. All 20 councils in the South East have approved an increase of 4.99% or more this year, including an 8.99% rise by Windsor & Maidenhead. Essex is the only council out of 10 in the East of England not to hit the cap threshold, along with three of the 10 councils in the East Midlands: Nottinghamshire, Derby and Lincolnshire. Coventry has confirmed a 4.90% increase, the only authority of the 14 in the West Midlands not to raise council tax to the limit or, in the case of Birmingham, higher, to the Government-approved level of 7.49%. All but two of the 15 councils in the South West are increasing council tax by the maximum or above, with Wiltshire (4.50%) and Torbay (4.75%) the exceptions, while Somerset is raising bills by 7.49%. Just three of the 33 London councils have opted to increase council tax by less than 4.99%, Wandsworth, Kensington & Chelsea and Barnet (4.80%), while Newham has received permission for a 8.99% increase. Meanwhile, three of the 12 councils in the North East have set council tax below the maximum: South Tyneside and Stockton-on-Tees (both 4.95%) and Sunderland. Five councils out of 15 in Yorkshire & Humber have set the council tax rise lower than than the limit. Along with Rotherham, North East Lincolnshire and Doncaster, they are North Lincolnshire (4.89%) and Barnsley (4.90%). Bradford is another council that has received permission for an increase above the threshold, in this instance, 9.99%. The figures also show that maximum council tax increases are occurring across both the wealthiest and the poorest areas. All of the 20 poorest council areas, according to the latest indices of deprivation compiled in 2019, are increasing council tax to the limit. This includes three authorities, Newham, Bradford and Birmingham, who have been allowed to increase bills above 4.99% this year due to severe financial difficulties. Similarly, only one of the 20 wealthiest council areas, Wiltshire, is not increasing council tax to the threshold. With local government finances in crisis, the Government has provided exceptional financial assistance to 30 councils this year, including support for eight councils to balance the books in previous years. Appearing before the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee last week, council leaders were questioned on the council tax system and its impact on finances. Bill Revans, leader of Somerset Council which has been granted permission to raise council tax by 2.5 percentage points higher than the threshold, said the flexibility has enabled the authority to avoid issuing section 114 declaring effective bankruptcy. But he said this approach was 'not a solution to local government finance'. 'It is, of course, welcome because we want to be able to manage our own affairs,' he added. 'But at the same time, it's incredibly difficult because ultimately our residents are having to pay more, and at a time when they are seeing less services because the services go to those people most in need of adults and children's social care.' Critics of the council tax system claim that household charges are unfair and ineffective because they are based on property valuations carried out in 1991. Bristol City Council leader Tony Dyer told the committee that the 'vast majority' of properties in the city were placed in the lowest bands A and B, which does not reflect current values and severely restricts council tax revenue. 'The first thing that needs to happen straight away is the revaluation of the various bands,' he said. Mr Dyer added that, despite many residents living in homes with the lowest council tax, there are many people who are unable to pay their bills. He said: 'We need to support these people, but that is being done, essentially, out of local authority budgets. 'In Bristol, we have a council tax reduction scheme which is costing us £43 million pounds a year with no support from the government to provide that.' A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'While councils are ultimately responsible for setting their own council tax levels, we are clear that they should put taxpayers first and carefully consider the impact of their decisions. 'That's why we are maintaining a referendum threshold on council tax rises, so taxpayers can have the final say and be protected from excessive increases.' A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils across England, said: 'Councils continue to face severe funding shortages and soaring cost and demand pressures on local services. 'This means that many councils have faced the tough choice about whether to increase bills to bring in desperately-needed funding to provide services at a time when they are acutely aware of the significant burden that could place on some households. 'However, while council tax is an important funding stream, the significant financial pressures facing local services cannot be met by council tax income alone. It also raises different amounts in different parts of the country – unrelated to need. 'The Spending Review needs to ensure councils have adequate funding to deliver the services local people want to see.'
The Independent
17-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Council tax map: Find out how much yours will rise this year as 90% face maximum increase
Nearly 90 per cent of households across the country will see their council tax increase by the maximum amount next month for the third consecutive year. Close to nine out of ten (88 per cent) authorities in England will impose a 4.99 per cent increase this year. This is the maximum amount councils are allowed to increase tax by without holding a referendum. 153 upper-tier authorities are increasing bills by 4.99 per cent, and if councils increasing their bills by 4.5 per cent or more are included, the proportion increases to more than nine in 10 (94%). For nearly 70 per cent of England's population, this will be the third consecutive year that bills have gone up by at least the maximum legal amount. Just nine councils are boosting bills by less than 4.5% this year. See how much council tax will rise in your area using the map below: The 4.99 per cent cap, which includes a 2 per cent adult social care precept, has been in place over the last three years. While 68 per cent of upper-tier councils have raised council tax by the maximum in each of the past three years, 84 per cent have done so in both 2025/26 and 2024/25, analysis by the PA news agency found. Data for individual regions show that of the 24 top-tier councils in the North West, all are increasing to the limit in 2025/26 except Warrington, which has opted for 4.98 per cent, while Trafford has been allowed by the Government to raise bills by 7.49 per cent. Just three of the 33 London councils have opted to increase council tax by less than 4.99 per cent, Wandsworth, Kensington & Chelsea and Barnet (4.80%), while Newham has received permission for an 8.99 per cent increase. All 20 councils in the South East have approved an increase of 4.99 per cent or more this year, including an 8.99 per cent rise by Windsor & Maidenhead. Essex is the only council out of 10 in the East of England not to hit the cap threshold, along with three of the 10 councils in the East Midlands: Nottinghamshire, Derby and Lincolnshire. Coventry has confirmed a 4.9 per cent increase, the only authority of the 14 in the West Midlands not to raise council tax to the limit or, in the case of Birmingham, higher, to the Government-approved level of 7.49 per cent. Bradford is another council that has received permission for an increase above the threshold, in this instance, 9.99%. The figures also show that maximum council tax increases are occurring across both the wealthiest and the poorest areas. All of the 20 poorest council areas, according to the latest indices of deprivation compiled in 2019, are increasing council tax to the limit. With local government finances in crisis, the Government has provided exceptional financial assistance to 30 councils this year, including support for eight councils to balance the books in previous years. Lowest increases Wandsworth Council, London - 2% Lincolnshire - 2.99% Rotherham - 3% Essex - 3.75% North East Lincolnshire - 3.98% Doncaster and Derby - 3.99% Kensington & Chelsea, London - 4% Sunderland - 4.49% A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'While councils are ultimately responsible for setting their own council tax levels, we are clear that they should put taxpayers first and carefully consider the impact of their decisions. 'That's why we are maintaining a referendum threshold on council tax rises, so taxpayers can have the final say and be protected from excessive increases.'
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Colony of endangered spiders halts Government's plans for 1,300 new homes
A small colony of endangered spiders has halted the development of more than a thousand new homes in a blow to the Government's growth plans. Plans to build hundreds of new houses and flats in Ebbsfleet in Kent have been abandoned after Natural England designated part of the Government-approved location - a filled-in quarry and the cleared site of a former cement works next to a railway station - as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The designation was necessary to protect a colony of rare 'distinguished jumping spiders' from developers, Natural England said, even though doing so obstructed part of a £300 million Government-backed plan to build a new town. Ian Piper, chief executive of the Government-backed Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC), confirmed the environmental order would affect plans for homes saying an estimated 1,300 properties slated for development would be lost. It will be seen as a blow to Rachel Reeves and the Labour government which has put house building at the heart of its plans to boost growth and kickstart the economy. The Chancellor announced a major change to planning rules in January, saying she would strip green quangos of their powers to block building, saying they have wielded an 'oversized say on the future of our economy'. Her comments were echoed by Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, who said this week, as she unveiled plans to slash red tape in the planning system: 'We're tackling the housing crisis head-on – for everyone who needs a safe home.' Steve Norris, the Conservative former transport minister, who until last year chaired a company that tried to build a £2.5 billion theme park in the area in parallel with the planned Ebbsfleet Garden City, described the SSSI situation as 'ludicrous'. 'All I can tell you is that until Angela Rayner, to her credit, grasped the great crested newt, bats and jumping spider issue, a development corporation established by the Government for the express purpose of delivering much-needed housing was prevented - by an agency set up by that same Government - from delivering those homes, for reasons which it had no obligation to justify,' said Mr Norris. 'In any other democratic country that ludicrous situation would never have been allowed to persist'. He added the Ebbsfleet situation was 'one of the clearest examples of just how awful we are at delivering big infrastructure - and, in the process, deterring private capital from funding big investments.' With house prices in Ebbsfleet averaging about £400,000, according to property website Rightmove, protecting the spiders has potentially blocked more than £500 million worth of economic activity from property sales alone. Derelict land just south of the River Thames was bought for £32 million by the Government-sponsored Ebbsfleet Development Agency in 2019, paving the way for the construction of 15,000 new homes. The 125-hectare site, which stretches from the banks of the Thames down to a railway junction some 20 miles east of London, includes a filled-in quarry and the former site of a cement works. It sits directly next to Ebbsfleet Station, from where high-speed trains reach the capital in just 18 minutes. Mr Piper, the EDC boss, insisted that the SSSI had 'not affected delivery of the majority of new homes' at Ebbsfleet, but conceded that the designation had blocked construction on a parcel of land known as Ebbsfleet Central West, immediately next to the railway station. Development of SSSIs is effectively impossible because of draconian controls placed on construction, sources familiar with planning permission law said. Natural England and the Government were approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
